ARTery (Artist Services)

The ARTery is the on-playa home of the Burning Man Art Team, and as such the volunteer team is called the ARTerians. The ARTery is the check-in and service center for artists as well as a hub of information about Burning Man art.

ARTerians perform a variety of tasks on playa including checking in artists, placing them at their installation location, and offering art discovery experiences to participants, all with an attitude of appreciation for artists and one another.

Along with the ARTerians, other teams within the ARTery include the Fire Art Safety Team (FAST), Art Support Services (ASS), and Eyes on Art.

The ARTery is located at Esplanade & 6:30 and is open one week before the event begins through event closure everyday from 9am-1pm and from 2pm-6pm.

Mission Statement

The mission of the ARTery is to serve and defend artistic expression at Burning Man. The ARTery facilitates the placement and display of art on the playa during the Burning Man event.

Be an ARTery Volunteer

Interested in joining us on playa? We’re a full-service department dedicated to helping Burning Man artists in any way we can.

Benefits!

Insight into the art of Burning Man—early “insider’s” knowledge of what is being created

Working with the artists, learning about their process, their drives and their passions

Helping support the art of Black Rock City—handling the on-playa placement of art pieces, sharing of information with participants, enjoying interactions with folks who recognize Burning Man as a premier art event

Belonging to a community, having fun, and making new friends. ARTerians are a close group of dedicated volunteers within the larger organization.

Here are some of the ARTerian roles that we staff for:

GreeterBest traits:friendly, social, calm, able to interact well with other Burners. We’re looking for the ultimate people person! The Greeters are the first point of contact at the ARTery and are able to direct the flow of artists during the registration and placement process, and also help direct participants during the event.

Concierge
Best traits: Process-oriented, attention to detail, good querying skills, problem-solving ability, good with an iPad. We’re looking for the ultimate playa consultant! Those at the Concierge desk review a detailed checklist with the artist regarding their installation. During this process, we ensure that the artist is informed and understands our requirements.

Mapinatrix
Best traits: Detail-oriented, organized, logical, multi-tasker. The Mapinatrix gets necessary information from the Concierge and then confirms the location of the art piece with the artist.

Field Ops
Best traits:Sturdy constitution, able to work in the elements for long stretches of time, good with directions, and technologically savvy. Field Ops ensures that all the art is placed and logged via GPS by taking the artist to their location on the playa.

Fluffer
Best traits: Helpful, sociable, nurturing, intuitive. Fluffers’ support Shift Leads and other ARTerian volunteers on shift, run errands, and generally take care of people while remaining upbeat and awesome.

Art Discovery Team
Best traits:Facilitation skills, able to engage participants in discussions about art, willingness to learn basic info about current year’s art installations, some roles required ability to walk or bike for long distances on playa, navigation skills.The Art Discovery Program offers a range of experiences to help participants to interact and engage with the art. One way is through Art Discovery Tours, where AD-Libbers (Art Discovery Librarians) lead groups of participants on adventures to discover playa art. AD-Libbers are not tour guides; instead they facilitate discussions about the art installations which allows participants to have their own experience in discovering the art.

Appreciation Team (A-Team)
Best traits:People skills, creative, flexible, enthusiastic, appreciative, multi-tasker, organized. We’re looking for cheerleaders for all the art teams and artists. A-Team members express appreciation for all the work the artists and those who support them do to bring art to the playa. This team hosts the annual ARTery Party, which is a celebration for ALL the artists and ARTery volunteers, and they offer a variety of fun ways to celebrate and show gratitude to BRC artists.

Requirements:

You must have attended Burning Man at least once prior to volunteering. The Appreciation Team is the only exception to this strict rule; if you are brand new, you are still invited to apply to join the Appreciation Team.

We request regular attendance (in-person at headquarters or via conference call) at the monthly ARTery meetings held on the third Tuesday of every month from May through August, with a debrief in October.

A minimum of three 4-hour shifts during the event.

To apply to join the team, please fill out the Volunteer Questionnaire and select Art as your preferred area of interest.